The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Alley Oop 10 | Tatum’s Achilles & OKC Is The Perfect Team w/ Amin & Izzy
Sat, 17 May 2025
Juju Gotti and the Oddball co-hosts Amin and Izzy discuss Tatum’s achilles, who has the best shot at winning it all, the league’s love for the Knicks, Izzy’s hate for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and playoff Jimmy Butler. Alley Oop talks all things basketball and hoopers. #NBA #Playoffs #NBAPlayoffs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What are the implications of Tatum's Achilles injury?
Well, I mean, I think the big thing, Juju, is already there were question marks, right? We were already, before the Celtics went down 3-1 in a series, now 3-2. Now, with a Jason Tatum ruptured Achilles, that changes everything because it's like, all right, we're definitely not going to be probably championship contention worthy next year.
I know they're going to give it their best this year, but the reality is the East has gotten better over time. And losing an MVP caliber player like Jason Taylor, you just can't just recover from that. And you're paying the highest payroll in the league. So I think they're going to have to make some hard decisions.
And then, like I said, hard decisions that were already on the way, but kind of accelerated by this injury.
You know what this reminds me of, Juju? It reminds me of the 2019 Warriors, right? They had so many deep runs into the playoffs and then they just physically were falling apart. KD, Klay Thompson. And they had to take a step back, the Warriors as a whole. Yes, KD left. And, you know, with this team, maybe you move on from Jalen Brown.
Maybe you don't, but you can still sort of it's not it's like a breather. It's a little bit of a reset. Yeah, you do a little change a couple of pieces here and there, but know that your main guys effectively need like a year to breathe like that's what it is need a year to like take off the.
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Chapter 2: How do the Celtics move forward after Tatum's injury?
the championship pressures and physically to take off the physical pressures and then sort of reset, sort of come back refreshed in 26 and see, you know, maybe a couple of new pieces, but they know the formula can get them championships the same way the Warriors did. And, you know, they came back and won it in 2022 with different pieces around Stefan Draymond and Clay.
Hell yeah, bro. Speaking of pieces, I'd like to give a shout out to one of the biggest pieces in Boston Celtics lore right now. Luke Cornett, my brother, you got my heart and soul. You feel me? I don't know about soul.
I don't know about soul, but he's got heart.
Okay, he got my heart. I can't give you the soul yet. But I don't know. I was looking at him like, damn, young Bill Russell out there tonight. Couldn't Google him. But yeah, man, look, the surrounding pieces in Boston right now, they definitely should, in my opinion, be all a little bit worried about their future in Boston just because of what you're saying.
Because like you say, like the money was not necessarily going to be there next year. Now with Jason Tatum injured. Do you guys think there are any kind of sweepstakes for any kind of, I don't want to say Giannis, I don't want to say, you know what I mean? Like, who could they get or what could they do?
I think the injury kind of messes things up, though, right? Because now it's like, so no one's going to want to trade for the hurt guy.
Right, go there and wait a year, right, for Jason, or you're not going to want to trade for him, like you said. Right.
And then the other one is, so if they trade Jalen Brown, now it's like, okay, so you're just really punting on the year in a way that, I don't know if that city is kind of accustomed to having a kind of punt, right? Because let's be honest, without Jason Tatum, I don't think they're a championship team, but they're good enough.
I think they're good enough to win 45 to 50 games, make it to the playoffs and all that. And then who knows, maybe because he's young, he rehabs faster and he can get back in time for a playoff push. So it just kind of makes things a little bit uncomfortable in that way. But let me ask you this, Juju.
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Chapter 3: What changes might the Celtics make to their roster?
I'm unfortunately sending out my brother JB. You dig? It's according to the piece I'm getting back. If I'm getting back a Giannis caliber or someone of that caliber, JB, my brother's been real. I think it's time for you to shine somewhere else. But if I'm getting just... I don't know. Whoever out there, just someone to compliment Jason Tatum, I don't know if I would do it.
I would like to run it back with this squad, probably minus Kristaps Porzingis. I think he's out of here regardless.
Really? You don't think that his uniqueness is enough to want them to keep him to stay and maybe let him stay? Maybe he plays 70 games next year?
Maybe it's a big word like with this mysterious illness that he's going through. I think he had like one point in the last game versus the Knicks in the playoffs. I think he's been hurt more than he's been available. And you know what the biggest ability is in the NBA? Breathing. Because if he can't do that, he can't play. Right. You can get something for him. I think you should shop him at least.
Golden State Warriors tried to rebuild it this year with – quote-unquote playoff jimmy i have never seen a regression quite as regressible as quote-unquote playoff jimmy i think he how many shots he took like eight eleven shots eleven eleven in the last one like what is that can y'all explain that do y'all not have any idea what that was
I'm going to let Izzy go first because he's got a hot take on this one.
Well, look, we've known this. Look, if he would have done that in a Miami uniform this year, everybody would have said, look, he's not trying. He's clearly trying to get out of here. Okay. And I don't really care if you're telling me he had an illness. He's on the floor. He looks okay. You know what I'm saying? If you're going to tell me his butt was hurting.
I'm pretty sure I can shoot you up and you'll be fine. Like, it wasn't just that he wasn't doing, when he was dribbling, he wasn't looking to score half the time. He was just kind of going to the middle of the floor and just looking around and trying to find somebody.
And I told people when he got there in San Francisco, there's going to be at least a dozen times where you're going to scratch your head and be like, why didn't you take that shot as you were flying by the rim? You're not even looking at it. If he was Ben Simmons, you would say something's wrong with that dude. Right.
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Chapter 4: How are the Golden State Warriors performing in the playoffs?
Chapter 5: What is the state of Jimmy Butler's performance?
And that's correct. Crazy to me. What do you guys think the thinking behind benching Kaminga for so long during these playoffs was?
Well, it actually is probably the most fair criticism of Steve Kerr, not specifically with Kaminga, but that when he doesn't find players that are, not seamlessly, but work into his offense, doesn't know what to do with them. And I don't know if that's true or not. We have to wait and see.
If Kaminga goes somewhere else and realizes that he's not a great basketball IQ guy, maybe doesn't really have a whole lot in his bag, that maybe he's just a piece that in the regular season you can play and in the playoffs you can't trust, we don't know that yet. But I will say that was the most commonly heard critique of Steve Kerr.
So when Steph Curry's out there, they want to play a very specific style of basketball. It operates a lot on feel, on reads, and Kaminga's a guy who hasn't played a lot of basketball in his life, even as now like a four-year player in the NBA and one year in the G League Ignite program. He doesn't have the same kind of feel as lesser talented guys that they've been playing out there.
So when Steph Curry's out there, They want you to cut certain ways. They want you to screen. They want you to relocate. They want you to do all these things that he doesn't really do that well. With Steph Curry not out there, then you have a need. You're like, I need someone who can just go get me one. And Kuminga, that's why you see him play well because that more suits him. I'm with Izzy.
It's not like he's Kyrie out there, but it's like in terms of I'm quick, I've got a great first step, and I'm explosive. I get it.
head and shoulders beyond my defender and go finish at the rim I'm an improving jump shooter I make shots or whatever but it's a much like more suited game for him to play kind of traditional basketball the way it's played versus what the Warriors are doing the other part and this is not his fault for sure but once they got Jimmy you're playing Jimmy you're playing Draymond they're two non-shooters really they get they have their moments but for the most part they're non-shooters
You play Kaminga with them, and that's three of them dudes all at the same time. It gets really, really hard for them to have the spacing that they want. So it's just like it's one of those things where, like, I don't even think they don't think he's a good player. I think it's just kind of like, to quote my man Randy Jackson from American Idol. It's just not for me, dog, you know?
Right. It sounds like Jonathan Minga, get ready to learn New Orleans Pelicanese. Yo, I know John Halliburton is somewhere waving his flag right now. Victory lapping around Applebee's, Chili's, or wherever he's allowed on the premises these days. Are the Pacers a real contender for the NBA championship this year?
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Chapter 6: Are the Indiana Pacers serious contenders this season?
And I thought that was so critical, such a huge game for them, for their continued growth in game five, that if they win this series, yeah, I absolutely have them as a favorite.
I think their post-game presses after the game is just such a metaphor for that team. The whole squad pull up. No matter who gets to interview, the whole squad is behind them putting towel on towel, making fun of the announcer or whatever the case is. They are an actual team. I think that the series before this, I don't know how much Jalen Williams, the other Jalen Williams, J-Dub versus J-Will.
Chapter 7: What strategies make the Pacers formidable this year?
Oh, man. Right, right. I don't know how much playing time he got in the other series, but this series, he's one of the perfect defenders against the Joker who you can say, all right, go out and use your fouls. You feel me? Like, what do you think about the team? I mean, like, I think they are, like, the perfect team.
Yeah, and it's, like, you know what's sad? I'm kind of thinking ahead. I'm like, man, I think, you know, obviously I've been saying they're going to win the title this year, but, like, there's a part of me that was like,
Oh, it's going to be sad when they have to break it up because at some point, what you see right now doesn't have, in the history of pro basketball or pro sports really, it'll last forever. Right now, it's a feel-good story. The irony is, this is what you would want people to think of when they think of the NBA. But because they played Oklahoma, everyone was like, oh, boring, whatever.
It's kind of like what happened in San Antonio. The Spurs were like, that's what you want the NBA to be about. But just because they were San Antonio, I was like, that's boring. I wonder if the Oklahoma City Thunder were the Dallas Thunder, if they were the Chicago Thunder. Would we think of them in a different way? Would we be more excited about them?
I think, look, if you switch teams, Shea Gilgis-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, Oklahoma City Thunder would be the most popular team in the world. I think it's just a matter of playing style. And it's nothing against Shea. You don't like Shea. He's a hooper's hooper, man. I admire him. It's just not like I'm not going to sit down and just watch his game.
Oh.
Yo, us? Jump sideways. You're jumping sideways, man. You're a foul merchant. They're not mutually exclusive. You can have all the skill and the ability in the world and still be a foul merchant. I can respect your ability and still say, hey, stop doing that.
Coming this fall, Shea Gildress Alexander is the foul merchant. And be careful, Jalen Brunson, because you're going to join the list. Be careful. Jalen Brunson. Right. We look at everybody love these segments, but we haven't put enough respect on the Timberwolves' efforts, like you said earlier. Yeah. The Timberwolves, they did the job. They can only beat who they face.
Do you think the Minnesota Timberwolves have a legitimate shot this year moving past the Western Conference Finals and actually winning the finals?
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